20 August 2012

Dear family,

AAHHHHHHH this week has been pretty great. We didn't do splits with the missionaries because we decided to take a week to focus on our area, so that the example could be a little better, and it worked excellently. We raised almost all of our records as companions, we found more in one week than I've ever found in the mission, we had 8 investigators in sacrament meeting, and an excellent coordination with the ward leaders to help them all feel great and at home there (all the investigators were grabbed and loved immediately after the prayer and taken to their classes). That was way cool. To make that happen we wrote on some little sticky notes a little note to the leaders of each organization about the investigators who were there for their classes, and gave those to the brother who is secretary, who passed it to them. 

We had a little miracle with the family Chita. I don't know if you remember that, but we had a while ago a really cool family who we were teaching, but the dad never wanted to come down from the second floor or talk with us, nothing. We were planning one night and the thought came that we should go back to them to find them. So we passed by unannounced one afternoon, and we found the mom, a few of the sons, and all at once the dad drives out of the driveway! (they have a wall between the lawn and the driveway, and the street -- which is a really rare feature, even rarer than having a car even though he isn't a taxi driver ---- He didn't stop to talk, but we passed a few mintutes with the mom making plans to pass by his bookstore to get to know him, and he got back with his daughter! He parked outside and walked past us and we were able to talk with him! We did our best to get his confidence and we agreed to visit him with his wife Sunday.

Sunday I went in splits with Hermano Dueñas. It was a very, very spiritual lesson. First Hermano Dueñas shared his whole conversion story. He also was Catholic 20 years ago, and he shared about how much he was able to change his life becoming a member of the Church of Jesus Christ. He bore testimony as a father, who let the gospel into his house, and I bore testimony as a son, who grew up with the gospel in the house. He was touched, and promised that before we meet again, he will KNOW that the Book of Mormon is true.

I can't write even the hundreth part of what happened this week.

This morning, reading Words of Mormon as part of my Book of Mormon estudio [study] for the 8th time in the mission I FINALLY understood how the whole 116 pages and the small plates and large plates thing works. Haha. Took me long enough. I thought I understood before, but now I really do. 

Love Elder Johnson

30 July 2012

Dearest Family and Friends,

This week has been one of learning so much. We got to see the baptism of Renzo Vallejos! He is really just amazing. His baptism was 12 days after we came to know him for the first time. He's quite famous. He and his twin are dancers who are known by almost all young people in the city of Tacna. He is so famous in part because he represented all of Tanca in a dance contest that was held in the capital of Peru, Lima, a few years ago. Quite a few members have asked us if he is the same one they saw on TV those years ago. Haha. He's a natural at sharing the gospel too. Just like converts do, he talks about the pure joy of living the Gospel.

He came to church where we met him 15 days ago with a friend, who also is a recent convert. He said she talked about the church with the same passion and love that he frequently talks about dancing. That really suprised him, that someone could be so passionant about church, so he went. He loved it. We visited him that night and invited him to be baptized for the 28th, and he realized he was feeling the spirit so he said yes! I'm going to read a ton of this book. I'm going to go to church next week, and Ill be baptized the 28th. He teaches dance classes in a gym and he had the oportunity to invite his students to his baptism. Three came! His dad came. He also anounced it by facebook to his doubtlessly many, many facebook friends. Saturday turns out was a stake activity, so we pushed it up to Friday. It was very pretty [a spanish-ism]. He testified of the truth of the gospel for the first time. 

In the stake activity, we did a tour of the chapel for the investigators who were there. We coordinated with the family history buffs, Sunday School buffs, and had a part in the chapel. We gave them DVDs of Finding Faith in Christ. It was a cool tour, but we had less help from the members than we thought we might get... we are gearing up to do it again with more coordination so that all the members can invite and we can have a crowd of hundreds of investigators! Everyone just has to talk like Erika Hurtado, the friend of Renzol (featured in the picture on the far right of the camera. He is the second person that she has invited to church (of the many she assuredly invites) in her few months of being member who has been converted.

My studies in general are becoming something so special. This morning in particular. I finished up Ether and went into Moroni. I don't know, but never have I really understood the situation in the which Moroni was in. Elder Uceda when he was here mentioned a little about Moroni's life and I realized when I finished Ether, that Ether had lived a very similar life. Reading Moroni 1 - 6 was really interesting, remembering all the Elder Uceda taught about it, and then Moroni 7 just hit me like a train. It was a very spiritual experience. I love the Book of Mormon. It is such a special book. When I read it, I often feel like the pages shine with celestial glory as I read and understand God's plan for us and the direction he is willing to give us. I wish all the people in the world could learn that reading the Book of Mormon generates spiritual experiences. How can I do that better? How can I help the people to do so?

We talked with some missionaries of another faith for a while two days ago. We helped them clear up their doubts about a closed canon and testified of the truth of the Book of Mormon. What made me sad was that they decided to go right then, and that right before leaving, they expressed a doubt that I think is common to most protestants here: All the other churches have members who also say that God directs them there.... how can you know then? I simply said: "Ask and you shall see." But he didn't get over that wall of faith. I don't know, but I hope he can remember the testimonies of my companion and I and put Moroni's promise to the test. It always proves true. I ask every day after my feasting of the Book of Mormon. I love doing that so that when I teach in the day, I don't have to say, well you see when I was 8, I asked and the Lord responded 13 years ago.

After reading Moroni 7 this morning, with the spirit burning in my heart and mind, I knelt down to give thanks to the Lord for that holy book. I told him how thankful I was for being in the mission and for Him having woken me up to the things of God, and then I asked that by the Holy Ghost he might confirm unto me the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon, and in that moment, the Spirit that I was already feeling was amplified and clarity was added to what I was feeling. The heavens passed close in that moment. I know the Book is true, and that it brings us to Christ, because it brings me to Christ, and I will share that with all the people I can today.

Love Elder Johnson

7 May 2012

Dear Family, 

7 May 2012

Now I do have the names! But warning again, I highly doubt they are spelled right, and they are in Spanish:

1. Giardia:
2. Blastosisitis Honminu [Blastocystis hominus, high geographic distribution, especially prevalent in developing countries, fecal-oral transmission from animals to humans]
3. Kiromastiks Mesnilla [can’t find this one or translate it?  anyone? -Rene]

But now I'm feeling pretty good. Not that I ever didn't, I just finished the pills and yea... pretty much the same, although I think I'm eating less, and I'm not so underweight now. I think.

So we had the Zone Leaders conference as we habitually have every first Monday and Tuesday of each month. It was a wild one. President Fernandez had just gotten back from his meeting of Mission Presidents of the whole South American North West area. They talked about a bunch of cool stuff. One thing that he shared with us was from Doctrine and Covenants. It was so interesting.

Yea its all about Doctrine and Covenants 130:20. [20 There is a ^alaw, irrevocably decreed in ^bheaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all ^cblessings are predicated—]

Then we talked a little about how faith is a principle of power and that if we want blessings we only need to be obedient to the law upon which those blessings are predicated. We read in D&C 104:78 [ 78 And again, verily I say unto you, concerning your debts—behold it is my will that you shall ^apay all your ^bdebts.] and he explained how the Lord wants us to get out of our problems. It’s a great scripture for those who have debts especially. Not only debts, but HE wants us to be efficient powerful missionaries. 

So we read D&C 104:80  [80 And inasmuch as you are diligent and humble, and exercise the ^aprayer of faith, behold, I will soften the hearts of those to whom you are in debt, until I shall send means unto you for your ^bdeliverance]. gives us the conditions by which He will send us the solution. 

And D&C104:79 [79 And it is my will that you shall ^ahumble yourselves before me, and obtain this blessing by your ^bdiligence and humility and the prayer of faith] which reassures us that it is His will that we receive the blessing. 

And so we read D&C 88:34 [ 34 And again, verily I say unto you, that which is ^agoverned by law is also preserved by law and perfected and ^bsanctified by the same] It is just so cool. It says that if we let the law govern us, it will protect and sanctify us. It will make us protected and perfect. What we have to do is apply ourselves to the Law that has been given us to be able to be perfect.

That was a pretty intense lesson.

I’ve been thinking continually about what I can do. You all remember how last Christmas I told y'all how I was desirous to extend about a year. Mom asked: "If you ask and they tell you no, is that because you don't have faith?" I replied more or less "No, it just means I’ve got to repent of having a desire not in line with the will of the Lord" 

So I was in an interview a while back with the president and I mentioned how I wanted to extend, and he said, “How much, a month?”

And I said “No.”

And he said, “A transfer?”

And I said, “No.” 

“Two transfers?”

 I said, “No.”

Then I said, I just don't feel like I should. He said something so cool in reply. He said, “If you become a consecrated missionary, whatever thing you ask for will be given to you.”

That left me thinking a while and I was reflecting on what the scriptures say: That if we ask in the Spirit, we will never ask for something that isn't the will of the Lord, and that all it will be given us. Preach My Gospel also says something like that. And so I consulted in that manner, and I will be able to extend 6 weeks! I talked to the President and he said that it seems excellent. Return date: September 26 Wednesday. I hope my being late in that doesn’t affect too much for all y’all.

Also in the zone leader’s counsel, the President asked a question and nobody was answering, and so I answered and got the first part right, and 4 parts more and there! It was really easy, and I don’t know why but the president was pretty satisfied so he said to the assistants, “Write down that we’re eating at Chilis with Elder Johnson and Elder Erhard next Monday. So we’re lunching at Chilis with the President today! Then, since our zone and 2 other zones had 4 baptisms (and that at the beginning of the month -- as a mission we are trying to make it so the majority of the baptisms are in the beginning of the month in order to have more constancy in the work-- and not the end like always), in each we got the invitation to play soccer with the President and the other two zones at 2 after lunch.

Looks like we can’t use skype this year for Mother’s Day.

In my study this morning, I read some scriptures I really liked!

First Mormon 8:39 [39 Why do ye adorn yourselves with that which hath no life, and yet suffer the hungry, and the needy, and the naked, and the sick and the afflicted to pass by you, and notice them not?]

Next Mormon 9:27-28 [ 27 O then despise not, and wonder not, but hearken unto the words of the Lord, and ask the Father in the name of Jesus for what things soever ye shall stand in need. ^aDoubt not, but be believing, and begin as in times of old, and ^bcome unto the Lord with all your ^cheart, and ^dwork out your own salvation with fear and trembling before him.

 28 Be ^awise in the days of your ^bprobation; strip yourselves of all uncleanness; ask not, that ye may consume it on your ^clusts, but ask with a firmness unshaken, that ye will yield to no temptation, but that ye will serve the true and ^dliving God.]

I’m about to finish for the 6th time in the mission the Book of Mormon. It is so true. So, so true.

We couldn’t teach David this week because his father got really sick and he even had to be in the hospital at 9:15 Sunday. So he couldn’t go to church. 

It seems that Diego or his dad didn’t tell his mom he wanted to be baptized till Friday... and she wants all the uncles and aunts to be there... so we are rescheduling.

I attached here a picture of the zone and also a video of a practice we did with me and Elder Erhard this morning on the day of rest. Not the best thing.. haha but funny.

Love Elder Johnson

27 December 2011 (snail mail letter)

Dear Family,
early December 2011

Well, there goes a few more months.  Right now I'm pretty good.  Today was the day of transfers. As promised by the President, we didn't have a change.  The zone changed a lot and one of the district leaders went to Arequipa to be a zone leader, with the excellent missionary Elder Keel, but I guess that's not too important for y'all.  He who went was Elder Stringham from Utah.

These past few days have been some days of pressure and very needed growth and learning.  I feel like I've got so much to learn, but I'm happy I'm learning it.  The mission president came to Camana to do interviews and seriously helped me understand the Atonement.  I was a bit worried about a particular detail but in 10 words he was able to help me a lot.  Anyway, I feel so much better now.

I suppose Dad has seen a lot of growth in the process of interviewing.

Another thing that has helped a bunch has ben to study the Liahona of September, which talks all about fortifying marriages. [if any readers want to access this material, it can ben found at lds.org at this link: http://lds.org/liahona/2011/09?lang=eng ].Without getting ourselves all trunky, we searched for how to be the best companions ever.  It was a well-timed Liahona for us (It got to Camana pretty late),

But anyway, I've been toying with the idea of improving my handwriting [in his handwritten letter, there is a significant change at this point in his handwriting].  We'll see if it catches on more normally. . . but for now, I prefer not writing super, super, super, duper slow.  Superipermegaextraordinarily slow.

So how is everything going at home?  I love to get your Dear Elder letters.  It's a great way to communicate.  I also love getting the journal entries of Grandpa Johnson.

Christmas we are definitely going to use Skype.  It costs 5 soles [that's just under $2]to call ya'll 35 minutes with the phone and .667 soles to use Skype with video for 40 minutes.  Pretty cheap, no?  Even though there is much more information transferred.  Any calculation on the price of texting?

My companion heard the other day that his dad finished reading the Book of Mormon for the 63rd time!  That's soooo many times.  I think I'm on #7 or so or 8, but 63?! The goal of his dad is to catch up to his age and to have a lifetime average of one time per year.  He just barely caught up, being 63 years old.

Just now, I was thinking of the great example of Abraham.  How much trust he placed in the Lord because he knew the Lord.  I wish to come to here/develop faith like that, and in that process I am.  I hope I can increase lots in my trust in the Lord, and that all you can too.  Especially Paul and Eric and William too, starting these teenage years for the last two.  There is to do more than I did. [Such spanish grammar. . . I'm going to leave it]

Well, my pen is broken. . . I shall use the superglue from my first aid stuff to fix it.

[He continues]

As of now, I have felt very blessed to have this time to be a missionary.  I'm learning so so much and feel like the past year has been indispensable for my life.  And plus I've learned to speak spanish.  It would have been nice to have studied harder in seminary, but that's for Paul, Eric, and Will.  Anyway, I'm getting a lot of habits that will serve me well for the whole life, especially daily scripture study and (recently) to be neat.  I know that might not be believable for mom, but it just seems important recently to have all my stuff in the right place, and especially my desk clean and bed made. Don't ask me why or how, but I don't want to let my room get like it was before.  Anyway.

In church yesterday, we learned about the scriptures.  The teacher put a list of a few:  The Book of Mormon, The Bible, Doctrine and Covenants, Principles of the Gospel, the Ensign or Liahona [magazines], books of scriptures, notably not only the canonic list and asked:  Which is the most important?  Then took votes.  The Book of Mormon had 13, the Bible 0, Principles of the Gospel:0; Liahona: 14.  The teacher explained how the words of the prophets living are the most important for us today.  He talked about how 8 people in our branch have subscriptions to the Liahona.  There are 350 members in all.  We learned how great a tool is the Liahona for reactivation, edification, and preservation.  We learned how President Monson as a Bishop, worked a lot with it and it gave lots of faith.  I want all 350 to get the Liahona!

Somehow the Church helps the people here, and lowers the price for one year to 5.10 soles or about $2.50 for a year!  I don't know how better it could get to make sure the messages of the prophets and the twelve apostles are in the house.  We are planning on working with this area.  How's the ARlington Ward?  I don't know how many people are in the ward or how many have the Ensign, but it would be a great idea to strengthen the ward!

So things are progressing pretty well here.  It makes me happy that we are progressing.  Being better desafiers [challengers], better testifiers, better representatives of the Lord.  In summary, Merry Christmas to all!  My companion possibly will be here for three Christmas' if his visa to Argentina doesn't work out.  His family moved during the mission from Colombia to ARgentina.

I realized that I feel pretty accustomed to Latin culture and the Latin continent now.  I know how Bolivians are a little.  Definitely know how Columbians are.  Peruvians, obviously, a little of the Chilean culture and some stereotypes of Argentina and Brazil.  Some central American knowledge and a little familiarity with Ecuador culture.  That all is interesting, but way better has been that I have learned about Christ, and the growth of my faith.  Of much more value too.  Really infinitely more valuable in terms of everything.  As we near Christmas, interesting things happen.  All the world remembers a little of our Savior.  I know he lives, that he came into the world humbly to save.

And with that, MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

P.S.  One of the missionaries told me about a person who bought a tree that was too big for the room.  So, he cut it.  But, he cut it at the top.  Haha.  Ooops.  I think this letter will be getting there late [for Christmas].

10 October 2011

Dear family,

How is the ward doing? We had a missionary from our zone go to the Lima temple this week. It’s a 1.5 hour plane ride. I would love to go so much. When is the next youth trip to prepare for?

Right now we are passing some high school students running and yelling like soldiers training. I think it’s part of their gym class. That’s cool. They’re running in the street and taking up the whole thing.

The letters get here on a de ves en cuando [every once in a while] basis. But thanks so much all for writing them! They come every few weeks all together every chance that the mission office has to send us packages.

So this week was interesting. We had the monthly zone leader’s conference in which we learned a lot. We are going to implement a new system that will help us teach better. The first week using it was very hard. It’s just a card that has some important points of each lesson and stuff that will help the investigatores [investigators] understand better the lessons. Preach My Gospel says that the better they understand the doctrine, the better the Spirit will be able to testify to them that it is true.

In companionship exchanges I worked in Puchun, and then here. There with Elder Perez and here with Elder Stringham. It was pretty good. The two days were very productive.

Hey, guess what? I know no one’s gunna [going to] believe it, but in our branch, there was a baptism!!!!!!!!!! We have been teaching a small family who live upp upp upp in a place called Paradise. The mom and son we have been teaching. The mom is a member and the son got baptized Saturday! He asked me to baptize him. It was great. Only the water was SOO cold. It might as well have come out of the faucet as ice cubes, and Joel (the son) was terrified of water in the first place, but it was all fine. Our branch mission leader directed the service, the family of Joel was there, quite a few of the young adults were there too, us, and the branch president, and an investigator came with his two teens.

A missionary returned to the branch from his mission in Lima North. Two more talked since they are about to leave tomorrow and in a few weeks. Freaked me out a little since I feel like a month ago I had to talk in our ward.. but I’m more than halfway to returning.

We passed one family Thursday who were taking big wood boards into the house that they use to make the concrete roofs. We offered to help them and they were grateful since there are many, and later we taught all 6 [in the family]. They seem like a great family and I hope we can continue to teach them! In all there are something like 8 people who live there.

I am going to have to get the pictures through the next Monday. And bueno. Las cosas estan bien. [And well, things are well.] I was thinking about how life is often difficult, and reading about Alma teaching the purpose of life in the Book of Mormon and between the chapters 34 and 42 came to understand better that we had to come here, so that we could have the experience of repenting and choosing the good. This is part of the goal, so it was absolutely necessary that Adam and Eve fell since we all needed to go through the process of repentance in order to progress in the grand scheme of things. I dunno [don’t know] exactly how to describe it but a few things just made sense better than before.

Haha this Sunday we tried something. We put the hymn CDs on high volume so that all could sing along Sunday. There is no piano or organ or someone who could play the electric piano, so we put on the CD and it worked GREAT! Definitely were gunna  [going to] continue. I think I’m going to be the new music conductor since the current is going on the mission tomorrow.

Love Elder Johnson

3 October 2011

Climbing a mountain near Camana on P-day

Some kind of fruit cooked in banana leaves

Is that the chicken for dinner in a few minutes?

A Peruvian woman's kitchen

Dear Family!

AAAHHHHH CONFERENCE! I love conference and am thinking about buying all the conference DVDs when I get back, but that’s beside the point. This conference was so great. One of my favorite talks was the one of the Book of Mormon !¡(all sorts of Book of Mormon references in the morning of Sunday, no?). I have a goal to finish El Libro De Mormon for the fourth time in the mission next week, and read it more in this my second half [of the mission]. It really is so good. I finally fixed my spanish triple combination so I can read it now. It broke right after I got to the field. Remember I asked for suggestions? A book repairer put rubber cement on it for 2 soles... haha. At least I think it’s rubber cement.

As always after the tenth hour of conference we were pretty amazed and all and a little sad it will be 6 more months till the next. Seeing Elder Oaks I thought: “Hey, I shook his hand a month ago!”

I also really liked the Young Women’s President’s talk [Sister Elaine Dalton]... I think that would be so great if it can be fully implemented this half year, and we might be teaching some of those things (and not just to fathers of daughters). I was just so happy to hear the choirs and hear the prophets. I learned a lot about how to come closer to Christ. Something I will be working on a lot right now.

I don’t remember if I said it last week, but what I would like most is an SD card to USB converter, something cheapisimo but that I can use to be self-reliant for Christmas.

Eric, how’s spanish class?? When I get back we are going to be able to speak so well! And talk about Paul without his knowing haha. But not really. Practica con la mama le va a ayudar muchisimo! Una semana yo hacia practica con mama y fue lo maximo! [Practice with mom.  It will help you so much.  One week, I practiced with mom and it was best!]

Y’all asked about my health. I am very high of health. I feel very blessed by the promises I have made and trying to keep them dutifully.

I found out the name of those so amazing socks I talked about: they are called Goldtoe.

I’m gunna [going to] email the church today, there is a translation error in Preach My Gospel! Almost sure they know but just in case. Page 169 says lea instead of le in the second paragraph (of course in the spanish version)

So this week we were in reunions [meetings] all the time. We went to a last minute multizone meeting, which was soo, sooo, soo amazing. The president really is incredibly spiritual. He called us hard to repentance telling us: There are some things that you do that are not ok, for example....... . Then, we talked about understanding that we have been called by prophecy to be representatives of Jesus Christ, and given the authority to do so. We talked about how the mission was worth whatever the cost, and heard from four missionaries who are doing miracles in their areas. They are in the same branch, and last month this branch had almost 30 baptisms, with 40 scheduled for October. Hearing them was a wake up call and extremely amazing. We also talked about how that ultimate and supreme teacher is the spirit, and that teaching is more than just talking and telling things, which we also heard in conference from the Sunday School Counselor in his great talk. And basically it was so, so good. The president knows how to tell us what we need to change very, very directly and with love so we really get we need to change it.

Elder Holland’s talk was pretty intense, no? I hope the Young Men’s leaders do some follow up on that. "just enough to singe ya" haha. Somehow, we need all the young men to understand the Aaronic Priesthood. Why didn’t we collect fast offerings? Can we? That talk was a great basis for Branch Presidents and Bishops to work off of.

Well that’s all the extended time I’ve got.

Love

Elder Johnson

Some New Pictures January 2011

Peruvian coins

The translation for verse 10 is basically, "How is it that you are not keeping the commandments of God?  How is that you should perish
because of the hardness of your hearts?"

24 January 2011

Dear Family,

MOM! I just realized that I don't think I ever wished you happy brithday in my emails. So HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I dunno how that happened but I didn't forget.

I'd love our young men to help us out all the time. One told us we can call him up at any time any day. Definitely we are going to do that.

How went the skiing???? Anyone learn sweet tricks? Mom did you ski at all?

I don't feel very fluent in English right now..

Well this week was eventful. We call contacting, when we talk to people for the first time. This week I had my 1000th conversation with the people. Yenny, from Puno (in Peru) wasn't very interested. Haha, but it was cool. My goal for 2000th is three weeks. We had 83 contacts Wednesday.

Last week we made burritos on P-day with our pensionista. They were really, really good. Really good. Makes me miss Chipotle a lot. We made everything even the tortilla, which was actually really easy. Corn flour, egg, and a little water.

In a bus I met a return missionary who was in Tegucigalpa Honduras last year. It was cool to talk to her but I didn't learn anything about Honduras apart from a few of their slang words that are different than Peruvian. Also in the busses [there] has been really, really popular song that goes : ¨the club cant even handle me right now¨.

A while ago this young person (Beatrice) told the lady that she wants to be baptized. Si o Si [Yes oh Yes!]. The only problem has been finding her and getting to teach her. Yesterday we taught her and her family minus her dad, they all accepted a goal to be baptized the 12th of February! I hope nothing happens with them. They are great.

This week we say one smart dog, and one not so smart dog. The second was playing with a rock, dragging it down a hill, carrying the rock back up, and dragging down, for at least an hour. The first had learned that if it wanted to get in the hour, all he had to do was knock.

We had a lesson with three young people. At the start, one told us God doesn't exist. At the end, he said "I have tons of faith!" His sister read the intro to the Book of Mormon and 3 Nephi 11. The next day we passed by and she said she read both, and she will now read the whole book before Saturday. WHAT? I really didn't believe her but she said she'll do it so I am really excited for Saturday.

Miguel went to church yesterday which means that YES he CAN be baptized this Saturday! We will be passing everyday with him. The first lesson with him, he prayed and asked if the restoration, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true. And then 30 seconds later told us that he had gotten his answer by the Holy Ghost (see Moroni 10: 3-5 --- also James 1:5 --- and about a hundred and twenty other scriptures).

Today we will visit a family who was baptized about a year ago, but their dad never was. I hope, hope he will be there. They told us that they would all go to church yesterday, but didn't... It's ok tho since we happened to meet their dad in the street, and he is excited to resume talking to the missionaries.

These past weeks I've been really wondering why we haven't had any [more?] success. It seems there is still something big keeping us from being the servants who can find all the prepared and nourished trees (see Jacob 5, D&C 29:7)

I am excited today to have a little bit of time to read extra in the Libro de Mormon [Book of Mormon]. I am right now in the first chapter of Mosiah, and especially enjoyed Jarom and Enos this time around.

What more can I say. There is a ton of snow on Misty, but no picture cuz also there are a ton of clouds in that direction. Looks like only one of my pictures is going to upload in time.  Wow the internet is going sluggish. OH NO! I dunno what happened but I died too. Maybe it's stored in a draft mom you might be able to recover it.

Thanks for all the Dear Elders [letters.  see dearelder.com and choose the Peru Arequipa pouch mail.  Address your letter to Elder Mark Johnson]!

Love

Elder Johnson

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